What makes people read your newsletter? What will cause your friends to stop paging through the pile of other people’s “junk mail” to sit down and read your timeless prose?

Bright pink envelope?

First-class stamp?

Teaser copy on the envelope?

Cartoons?

Scratch ‘n’ sniff stickers?

None of the above. Friends and donors read your letters primarily because of:

Your personal relationship with them

Your track record in writing

A friend told me: “I love giving to the Nav staff who disciples me, but I never read his newsletter. Too boring. Waste of time.” That’s obviously an extreme example, but it illustrates the importance of both relating well and writing well.

So, don’t worry about “cute” envelopes…personal logos…color of paper. Invest your time in relating helpfully to your friends and in developing a reputation for good writing.

If your friends know your letter will be interesting, illustrated, newsy, and probably short, they will look forward to reading it rather than simply glancing at it.

Two hints for developing a good track record in writing: Keep it short and tell interesting ministry stories.

Editor’s note: Click here to see a newsletter like Scott is encouraging us to write.